Wine on the Radio - January 2, 2004    

 

Amarone                                     Amarone Selections

Get ready for a lip smacking good time.  It's with a great big yummy red wine from Italy - Amarone.  

Amarone is one bold, dark and chewy wine with so much flavor you'll go "wow!"

Here's why:

It's from the Veneto region and made in a unique way.  After the grapes are picked they aren't crushed right away like for most wines.   Instead they're placed on slatted racks, laid out on straw mats or even hung from the rafters in bunches at drying lodges.   Yep, they're allowed to dry out, or partially raisin, for about four months.   This concentrates the sugars, acids and flavors.  

The Amarone wine made from these grapes is powerful stuff. a big red with hearty fruit, a bittersweet chocolate and a somewhat raisiny taste.   Amarone is then oak aged for up to five years before bottling and release to us.  

It's ready to drink and a real mouthful that's great with hearty winter dishes.  

Pop the cork™.               

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Amarone Selections and Recommendations . . . All Prices Approximate

Allegrini 1998 Amarone $60
Veneto, Italy

Winemaker's Notes
Deep purple in color with a bouquet full of dried fruit. Rich and full bodied, intense and elegant. Velvety smooth

Zenato 1998 Amarone $50
Veneto, Italy
Winemaker's Notes
This is a dark, rich wine with deep, smokey, plum and chocolate fruit aromas. The wine is very rich in fruit and very long on the palate

1997 Tommasi Amarone della Valpolicella $50
WS 90 points, Big and powerful red. Lots of raisin, with hints of smoke and charcoal. Full-bodied, with fruit and black pepper character. Long and juicy